Coke handling mechanism



April 1, 1941. cu 2,237,134

COKE HANDLING MECHANISM Filed March I51, 1939 2 Sheath-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. mall/2C8 Ham/n22 2 Shts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

- Nautical? Car/n12,

M. D. CURRAN COKE HANDLING MECHANISM Filed llarch 31, 1939 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 COKE HANDLING MECHANISM Maurice D. Curran, Glendale, Mo., assignor to Tar and Petroleum Process Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 1 Application March 31, 1939, Serial No. 265,085 3 Claims. '(01. 202-230) The'present invention relates to improvements in coke handling mechanism.

More particularly the present invention relates to mechanism for expeditiously handling coke after it has been discharged from the ovens in which it has been prepared. The coke is ordinarily discharged from the coke ovens at high temperature, and care must be taken to prevent the burning of this high temperature coke. The present invention contemplates the provision of means for handling the coke as it is being discharged from the colclng ovens, whereby said coke will be quenched, will have the braise removed therefrom, and may be delivered to storage either with a predetermined moisture content or in substantially anhydrous condition, as preferred. 1

An object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for accomplishing the desired results immediately above referred to.

A further object is to provide conveying and quenching mechanism which is simple in construction and operation and which may be advantageously associated with coking ovens as now commonly provided.

A further object is to provide coke handling apparatus for handling coke discharged by coke ovens which will be eflicient in operation and which will prevent undesirable breakage of the coke.

A further object is to provide coke handling mechanism having simple and eflicient means for preventing access of air to the incandescent coke discharged from coke ovens.

A further object is to provide coke handling mechanism whereby the coke may be handled in a continuous stream of uniform contour, whereby coke of uniform moisture content may be efliciently obtained.

A further object is to provide coke handling mechanism whereby the newly discharged coke may be quenched in a minimum of time with a minimum amount of water.

A furtherobject is to provide an improved coke handling mechanism in which the coke braise may be efiiciently separated from the remainder of the coke by means of the water used in quenching.

A further object is to provide coke handling mechanism for disposing of the coke discharged from coke ovens, which will be economical both with respect to installation cost and cost of operation.

A further object is to provide coke handling mechanism well adapted to meet the needs of commercial operation.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view comprising part A and part B, illustrating coke handling mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view comprising part A and part B, corresponding, respectively, to part A and part B of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1,

part B.

The numerals Ill-ill indicate coke ovens arranged in a battery, each of said ovens having a gate II at its discharge end past which the coke may be pushed from the ovens. The numeral l2 indicates an elongated trough disposed transversely with respect to the lengths of the ovens Ill-l0. Said trough is located in posi-- tion to receive coke pushed from said ovens Ill-l0. The general contour of the trough i2 is shown in Figure 3, in which a bottom wall- I3 is shown having connected thereto the vertical walls l4|4 forming a channel. At the tops of said vertical walls l4-l4 are flaring walls l5-I5 provided with the upstanding portions l$l6. Said upstanding portions |6-l6 provide tracks for a movable carriage, indicated as a whole by the numeral l'L'which carriage carries a plow l8. Said carriage I! and plow I8 will be referred to more in detail presently.

The trough l2 extends across one end of the battery of ovens l0l0 and beyond said battery, as clearly indicated in Figure 1, parts A and B. The bottom wall l3 of said trough l2 at .the region thereof underlying the region of the ovens I 0l0 is depressed slightly with respect to the remainder of said bottom portion, whereby to provide a basin for receiving a shallow pool of water. Cooperating with the bottom wall i3 is an endless conveyor !9. The details of the conveyor l9 form no part of the present invention. However, said conveyor should be capable of conveying coke from the ovens ill-Ill along the trough I! in a left-hand direction as the parts are viewed in Figures 1 and 2. Any preferred means (not illustrated) may be provided for communicating movement to the conveyor l9.

Disposed to the left of the region of the ovens l0-I0 as the parts are viewed in Figures 1 and 2 is a canopy 20, under which are disposed a plurality of water sprays 2l-2I for spraying said screens or gratings with the water which has been delivered from the sprays 2l-2l. The water may be drawn of! from the receptacle to any preferred point of disposal, and the braise maybe removed from the receptacle 24. Steam or vapor resulting from the spraying of the coke under the canopy 22 will pass off through the vent 25 at the top of the canopy 22. Either or both of the side walls ll of the trough I! will be provided with water inlets 250-251: for admitting water to the trough l2 at the region thereof adjacent to the ovens ll-ll, whereby. the basin provided by the depressed bottom portion of the trough l2 may be supplied with water. The water in the basin referred to will be kept at a substantially uniform level for the reason that any water above said level will drain off through the gratings or screens 22.

The trough I 2 with its conveyor l2 extends to a region to'the left of the canopy 22, where it communicates with a transverse chamber 22. Saidchamber 25 is provided with the gate 21 operableby means of the crank 22, and said gate 21 has the function of directing coke from the conveyor i9 seiectably toward one end or the other of the chamber 22. The portion 22 of the chamber 26 located at oneside'of the gate 21 is provided with the conveyor 2| adapted to convey coke .to the conveyor-'22, which in turn.

deposits said coke upon the conveyor 22, which may lead to a loading tipple or a storage bin. The portion 20 of the chamber 28 located at the other side of the gate 21 is provided with a conveyor 24 adapted to conduct coke to the drying box 25. Said drying box 25 is provided with the false bottom 28 and with the real bottom 21. An endless conveyor 22 is provided, adapted to scrape along the false bottom 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow and to scrape along the upper surface of the real bottom 21 in the opposite direction.

Communicating with the drying box 25. preferably below the false bottom 28, are a plurality of inlets 29-29 adapted to conduct inert high temperature gas to said drying box 25. Said inlets 29-29 are supplied by the conduit 42, which, as indicated in part B of Figure 2. is supplied from the ovens iii-i0. Gases entering the drying box 35 through the inlets 219 are waste gases from the ovens. The action of these waste gases is to dehydrate the 3 coke, producing metallurgical anhydrous coke. The temperature of these gases will be well above the boiling point of water, and, being substantially a mixture of water vapor, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, will dehydrate the coke in an atmosphere substantially free of oxygen. The coke which has been scraped ofi from the false bottom 25 in the drying box 35 will be delivered through the 'chute ll to the conveyor 32. The purpose of the gate metallurgical coke approximately free. of water is delivered to said conveyor 22. r Inasmuch as invention is to deliver coke having a predeter. mined moisture content, it is desirable to maintain an approximately uniform cross section of coke in the trough l2. For thispurpose the plow l2, previously referred to, is provided. Said plow extends from that side of the trough ad- Jacent to the ovens 'il-ll toward the mid section of said trough. As will be apparent from Figure 3, the plow II has the function of spreading the coke more or less uniformly across the trough l2, overcoming the tendency of the coke to deposit itself on that side of the trough ad- :Iacent to the ovens. The plow i2 may be fixed in position relative to the length of the'trough l2, but it is at present preferred to have the plow movable longitudinally of said trough, whereby it may be positioned to control the flow of coke from each oven as that particular oven is being discharged. For this Purpose the movable carriage I1 is provided, having a plurality of wheels 42 which ride along the upstanding portions l2li of the side walls of the trough l2. The carriage l'l will be provided with strengthening braces, or the like, for securely holding the plow i2. Said carriage will also be provided with means for anchoring the carriage securely at desired positions longitudinally of the trough [2. The details of construction of the carriage I'l need not be described in detail herein, inasmuch as constructionsuitable for the v P rpose will be apparent to those skilled in the 21 is, of course, to permit the delivery of either domestic coke having a certain definite water content to the conveyor 32, or to deliver coke to the drying box 35, from which anhydrous art. I

.An important feature of the invention is the mechanism (not illustrated) for pushing the coke from the ovens Ill-l2 into the trough I! may be synchronized with the speed of the con-' veyor l5 and with the amount of water admitted through the quenching sprays 2I-2l and through the water inlets 2511-250, whereby the percentage of moisture in the coke may be deflnitely controlled. The mode of operation of the above described embodiment of the present invention may be briefly summarized as follows: In the course of manufacture of coke in the ovens Iii-l0 the gates of said ovens will be opened'successively and the coke will be pushed therefrom through mechanism not illustrated. Mechanism suitable for the purpose is well known to those skilled in the art, and such mechanism may be operated through motive means, the timing and speed of which may be controlled by the operator. The coke from each of the ovens will be discharged into the adjacent portion of the trough i2 and will be conveyed in a left-hand direction as. the parts are viewed in Figures 1 and 2 by means of the conveyor IS. The water from the water inlets 25a-25a will discharge into the basin provided by the depressed portion of the bottom wall l2 of the trough l2, whereby to provide a pool of water'of uniform level, excess water draining off through the screens or gratings 22-22. The water in the pool thus provided will have the dual function of cooling the conveyor l9 and of forming steam, which in rising will prevent access of air to the coke. thereby preventing the burning thereof. The

coke as it proceeds along in a left-hand direc- I tion will pass over the screens or gratings 22 22. Water from the water sprays 2i-2l will quench the, coke, and the outgoing steam generated will escape through the vent 25. As inne of the obiectsof the presen that l dicated above, the screens or gratings 22-22 will have openings of definite size, whereby braise of a size up to certain predetermined dimensions will be carried oftthrough said gratings or screens-with the water to the receptacle 24, from which the braise may be recovered and from which the water may be delivered to any preferred point of disposal. At the lefthand end of the trough i: the coke will be delivered to the chamber 26. If domestic coke is desired having a. predetermined water content the gate 2'! will be moved to a position to deliver the coke to the portion 29 of the chamber 26,

whence said coke will be delivered by means of the conveyor 22 to the conveyor 33. If anhydrous coke is desired, the gate 21 will be thrown to the opposite position, whereby said coke will be delivered through the portion 30 01' the chamber 26 to the drying box 35. Said drying box 25 will be provided with hot inert gases which may be delivered from the ovens Ill-40. The

conveyor 38 will carry the coke along the false bottom 36 to the chute 4|, which delivers the anhydrous coke to the conveyor 33. Pieces broken oil from the coke in the drying box 35 will drop through the false bottom 36, to the real bottom 31 and will be scraped along in a righthand direction as the parts are viewed in Figure 2, part A, toward the right-hand end of the drying box 25, where they will be discharged. The daigns of conveyors I9 and 28 will be so chosen as to permit braise and broken coke to drop therethrough as they convey the coke along their supporting surfaces.

By reason of the fact that the discharge from I the ovens Il-II may be synchronized with the speed of the conveyor 19, and by reason of the further fact that the cross section of the moving stream of coke may be maintained substantially uniform by means of the plow l8, and by reason of the further fact that the amount of water supplied by the sprays 2l2l may be controlled, it is possible to deliver coke having a predetermined water content.

By reason of the fact that the screens or gratings 22-22 haveopenings oi definlte'size, it is possible to remove with the quenching water braise up to predetermined dimensions.

h ugh a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is- 1. In combination, a coke oven, trough extending in front of and charge and of said coke oven,

a horizontal past the. disa conveyor in said located below in steam to prevent combustion of said coke prior to quenching, means for delivering a meas: ured amount of quenching water to coke carried by said conveyor, said means for supplying said quenching water being disposed adjacent to a region reachedby said coke after it has passed said depressed portion, said drain means being said quenching water supplying means, and means for maintaining an approximately uniform cross-section in the coke moving along said trough in the region adjacent to said quenching water supplying means.

2. A device adapted to be placed in front of a battery of coke ovens for preventing discharged hot coke from burning and also for quenching said coke, comprising a horizontal trough, a conveyor located at the bottom of said trough adapted to convey a layer of hot coke along said trough,

tough adapted to convey a layer of hot coke along said trough, the bottom portion of said trough at the region adjacent to said oven being depressed slightly with respect to the remainder of said bottom said depressed portion, said remainder adjacent the depressed portion eing Provided with drain means on the surface positioned slightly above said depressed bottom portion whereby to limit the water in said depressed shallow with reference to the height of coke in said trough whereby hot coke traveling in said trough in mid depressed portion will be enveloped portion to a depth portion, means for supplying water to I said trough being provided with a depressed bottom portion to form a basin for water and being also provided with a slightly higher bottom portion, said. trough beyond said depressed portion being provided with water outlet means to limit the water in said trough to a depth substantially no greater than the depth of water in said basin, said water in said basin being adapted to form steam to envelope said hot coke to prevent combustion thereof before quenching, means for delivering a measured amount of quenching water to said moving layer of cokeafter it has passed said basin, and means for maintaining a uniform trough adapted to convey a layer of hot coke,

along said trough, the bottom portion of said trough at the region adjacent to said oven being depressed slightly with respect to the remainder of said bottom portion, means for supplying water to said depressed portion, said remainder adjacent the depressed portion being provided with drain means on'the surface positioned slightly above said depressed bottom portion whereby to limit the water in said depressed portion to a depth shallow with reference to the height of coke in said trough whereby hot coke traveling in said trough in said depressed portion will be enveloped in steam to prevent combustion of said coke prior to quenching, means for delivering a measured amount of quenching water to coke carried by said conveyor. said means for supplying said quenching water being disposed adjacent to a region reached by said coke after it has passed said depressed portion, said drain means being located below said quenching water supplying means, said drains being provided with screens having openings of definite size to screen out braise up to predetermined dimenngons washed out by said quenching water, and means for maintaining an approximately uniform crosssection in the coke moving along said trough in the region adiacent to said quenching water sup- 

